Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Morels!

Oh, joy! While mowing the orchard, John discovered a pair of morels! We had found some there about ten years ago but haven't seen any since -- until now.

Only two little morels -- I decided to stretch their flavor by putting them into a cream sauce.

They're hollow . . .

I sizzled them in a tablespoon of butter with some garlic chives . . .

Then I added a tablespoon of flour, about a cup of hot milk, and salt and pepper to make a cream sauce. Piled onto a toasted ciabatta, it made an fine breakfast.  (About four times as many morels would have been nice ...)  My Carolina Kitchen has another wild mushroom recipe (and far more elegant presentation) HERE.
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23 comments:

Brian Miller said...

mmm...i bet that was delish...

Reader Wil said...

You are as good a cook as an author! It looks divine!

Merisi said...

Yummy! :-)

A neighbor once left a puffball the size of a soccer ball at my mother's door. It was perfectly white all the way through. My brother made about a dozen "Wiener Schnitzel" (breaded and fried cutlets). Those not in the know noticed that it was not your ordinary veal cutlet, but would have never guesses they were eating fried mushroom.

Unknown said...

Morels and Wiener schnitzel - mouth watering things come to mind with this post:):)
Whenever you have time, Vicky, please teach me how to link my blog directly to Facebook - thanks!

Desiree said...

I have never had the pleasure of eating morels, but I absolutely love every other type of mushroom I've eaten. Yours looked delicious and I'm drooling. So unfair to tease us like this, Vicki!

Miss_Yves said...

It looks delicious!

Pat in east TN said...

Where my husband is from in OH, it's a spring time ritual to go 'mushroom hunting', and most folks come back with paper grocery bags full. We found a few here a couple of years back and he was delighted ... we've checked lately but have had no luck, BUT, there's still hope!

Sally said...

Thanks for the recipe...looks delish!
I look forward to trying it with whatever mushrooms I can mix from the grocery store. Doubt I'll find Morels but who knows.

PS...Have been enjoying the Julia Spencer-Fleming series you recommended.

Lyn said...

What an elegant way to start the day..I wish you more morels!!

Sam Hoffer / My Carolina Kitchen said...

How funny Vicki. I was just emailing you about your garden when I decided to click over to see what was on your blog this morning. Morels! Wow and double wow. I would have thought I found gold to find these gems.

You're a great cook and your breakfast looks fantastic. Thanks for the shout-out and link. I'm on the road and you can be sure I won't be having a delicious homemade mushroom cream sauce for my breakfast today.
Sam

Jean Baardsen said...

I just finished my boring granola. Sigh....

Suz said...

yum is right

Vicki Lane said...

I've never tried a puffball though we see them now and then -- not the size of a soccer ball, alas.

Emille -- It's been a while since I did that == I think if you go to you FB page and click on ACCOUNT in the upper right hand, then on SETTINGS, there's a choice for adding links. As I say, I don;t actually remember.

Sally -- so glad you're enjoying the Julia Spencer-Fleming books -- I'm reareading IN THE BLEAK MIDWINTER right now.

NCmountainwoman said...

Lucky you. I hope there are more morels to be found. Looks like a great way to fix them.

Unknown said...

Well if our snow ever leaves it will be morel season in MN. I have never eaten any, nor found any. Here the locals in the know find the best morel gathering spots in the wooods, and guard that jealously, harvest and sell them at a high price to a vendor who sells and ships them to expensive restaurants in New York.

Tess Kincaid said...

Oh oh oh that looks good! I'm afraid I don't know enough about mushrooms to be able to pick and serve them without poisoning anyone.

Tammy said...

Lovely little critters aren't they? I just spent about an hour out scrabbling around through the grass and leaves and found about a half dozen. (Smallish) They made enough for me and my folks to have a 'mess' of them. They seem pretty scarce around here this year. Looks like you really enjoyed yours too.
Tammy

Folkways Note Book said...

Vici -- Yum -- a recipe for a down-the-road future meal.
-- barbara

chiccoreal said...

MORE Morels! reminds me of Lady Chatterly's Lover; sasnt there a Mrs.Morel? I do rememberr puffball in the fall and walking around with them feeling a little bit like Dolly Parton!

Brenda said...

Oh how wondrous!! Two springs ago, we stopped by an old Inn for sale, somewhere up 26.. maybe Bardnardsville? It was a wonderful historic place and it was fun wandering around, taking photos, and imagining buying it. And THEN we hit the jackpot. Fields of morels!!! I had never seen even one morel, but had heard of them forever. Oh, it was a morel bonanza (we took some but left plenty). Your post brought back the memory of that fun day. :)

Merisi said...

That was the greatest puffball ever apparently. ;-) There are big ones every now and then, but usually the worms have already taken up residence.

Try it, it tastes really good. The children were sure they had a veal cutlet. I could not believe myself I was eating a mushroom.

Deanna said...

You lucky dog you! There are no mushrooms in these woods. So I bow to my son each spring when he brings me a bag of mushrooms found in his neck of the woods. Usually. This spring has been too cold and wet for mushroom hunting.

Stephanie D said...

I've read about these, but never seen one or tasted one. Hubby doesn't like mushrooms, but I love them, and I'll bet this one would not be an exception!